Lennox Lewis passionate on undisputed row: In an era of fake news, this stuff matters!

WBN 21/03/2018

Lennox Lewis believes the situation regarding his legendary status can become clouded if statements like that of Showtime analysts recently get repeated down the years.

Back in 1999, Lewis fully unified the heavyweight division with all the belts that mattered at that time, although Showtime’s Mauro Ranallo and Steve Farhood have been accused of attempting to take the shine off the victory obtained.

With the WBO then struggling to gain a foothold in the 200 pounds plus weight class, the likes of Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield and Riddick Bowe didn’t bother to even attempt to pick up the strap.

This led all to believe those two decades ago that the Holyfield v Lewis clash at the end of the 1990’s was for the undisputed crown and was aptly named so on the official poster.

It wasn’t until Wladimir Klitschko was able to re-unity the division FIVE YEARS after Lewis retired that the WBO was then considered one of the major belts on offer.

Closing the curtain on his questioning of Showtime labelling Tyson as the last man to be undisputed, Lewis admitted he was disappointed with the statement made and made his feelings known to the network.

“You can’t say with ‘great respect’ to me and then tell me – of all people, the WBO belt meant something in my era. Especially for a belt that dropped its champions for taking on the best fighters,” said Lewis.

“I wasn’t checking for Herbie Hide (then WBO champion), I was looking for fights with Holyfield and Lewis.

“So if Showtime’s ‘research team’ wants a new talking point to hype an upcoming fight, they need just say so. But don’t try to rewrite history on a technicality that no one recognizes but them.

“In an era of fake news, this stuff matters! My point of contention in this whole thing is that not only did Showtime get it wrong, but then they doubled down on it.

“I fought for glory and legacy first (but) Showtime has started the process of eroding that legacy through a revisionist lens and I can’t be silent about that!”